The X-MAS War [Paperback]

Scott Malensek (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 2002

The undeniable history of mankind clearly shows us that human conflict has far from passed. In places like Kuwait, Rwanda, Bosnia and Kosovo, the 20th Century ended brutally. Given the trends of modern conflict, the economic separation of peoples, the rise in religious affiliated terrorism, and the social hatreds that remain between races, tomorrow's wars can only be more violent than those of the past. The X-MAS War is really an anthology of four books: Black Rain For Christmas, The Secret War In South Asia, Sixth Fleet Under, and The Sugar-Sweet Smell of Fear. All four have overlapping storylines. They're tales are all told through the use of news reports, traditional narratives, diary entries, and letters home. Each book is a complete story by itself, but together they give a brand new perspective to the unique aspects of 21st Century warfare!

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

This is EASILY THE MOST-COMPREHENSIVE AND DETAILED TECHNO-THRILLER OF THE 21st CENTURY!!! Wars are always fought at the wrong time, the wrong place, with the wrong enemy, and without enough preparation-at least from one side's perspective! The X-MAS War uses a brand new style with a post-modern flavor to illustrate this point of view. There has never been a military/science fiction book of this high-calibur and detail! All of the technologies, weapon systems, and tactics are either in use today, or have been fully researched, and their details have been fully reported upon during the 1990's. This book is an absolute must for everyone who wants to understand the dynamics of today's multi-layered global warfare!

About the Author

Scott is originally from the Northeast Ohio area, and he resides there today. Prior to his highly successful career as an author, Scott was an environmental consultant and an administrator at an injection mold design and manufacturing company. Some of his other books include, The Weekend Warriors: Paintball War Stories From 1988-Today!! and 50+ Ways to Play with Your Paintballs. In addition to his literary, military, and political interests, he is also an avid aviculturalist.

Product Details

• Paperback: 712 pages
• Publisher: Virtualbookworm.com Publishing (October 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1589392817
• ISBN-13: 978-1589392816
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,718,869 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth the money, July 20, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The X-MAS War (Paperback)

I was very interested in reading this book and I am glad I purchased it. It is an anthology of various books written by Mr. Malensek and once I started reading it, I couldnt put it down.

The war (or I should say wars) takes place between 2010 - 2011. Most of the story is told by diary entries or news releases, with some narrative in between. I served in the military 12 years and I can honestly say the author knows what he is talking about and I like how he doesn't include some gee-whiz high tech gadgets that a person in this year can't visualize. He has the various soldiers using equipment that is in use today (with the exception of the aresenal ships).

My only real complaint with the book is it seems as if nobody proof read it after it was completed. There are numerous grammtical errors. The biggest complaint is the dates of some of the events do not match up. Example: The author writes how on Jan 31, 2011 the news reports that two US aircraft carriers were sunck off the coast of North Korea, but on the next page one of the characters is writing about the battle and stated it happened that day, the day he is writing his entry is Feb 3, 2011. Also there is a section of the book where the dates are totally messed up.

Overall this is a well written and excellent story and it was worth every penny.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A long read, but WELL worth it, January 28, 2003

By 

"peacenik2" (NEW YORK CITY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The X-MAS War (Paperback)

I read one of Malensek's other books, and when I heard that he had combined his collection into this one, I saw it as a good way to read some of his other works too. The X-MAS War is one of the biggest works of fiction that I've read, but its unique short story, diary entry, and news story structure kept it from seeming endless. Actually, it was very hard to put down at some points. The combination of several different books did make for some confusion because of all the storylines, but by the end of the book, everything came together very nicely. I liked how Malensek used great detail-but not toooo much. Sometimes other technothriller writers can seem to get lost in the circuits of a heat-seeking missile's guidance system. This is still a very technical book, and it's not for novice readers or most Junior High students. Like the characters and multiple storylines, the war is the true subject of change. There were some places where Malensek's conservative tone could be seen, but for the most part, I think he did a nice job of presenting some very polticially incorrect situations without pushing a doctrine. Like his other works, this novel shows that today's high-tech form of industrialized warfare is becoming too dangerous to fight. I look forward to reading more of his books, and I highly suggest you check out The X-MAS War!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW, May 6, 2003

By 

Shirley Priscilla Johnson "Author/Reviewer -... (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The X-MAS War (Paperback)

At first this read seemed quite overwhelming to me, but slowly I began to read the many stories that were presented, and I was impressed.

An anthology of four books, the author overlaps storylines, using letters from soldiers, news reports, and stories to bring the reader into the world of the soldier and the world of war.
This is an excellent work, portraying the heart of the soldier in each word read, as the author writes to bring you, the reader, an understanding of human conflict from past, present and future! I was engrossed with the story of Manny, I believe that was my favorite part. Mr. Malensek words allowed me feel Manny's tribulations. His fears and concerns, very good!
My husband and father-in-law asked me to please let them read this work after I was finished. They are both prior military, and I am sure will devour the words of this book in no time. I still have not decided if I will let them. (smile)

I believe for a man, or a woman, who is in military service, this read would be like a delicious piece of their favorite cake; however, a harder read for those not interested in this arena. I do however feel, if others would take the time to read this work, they would understand fuller the heart of man, the horror of war.
Perhaps the cover page says it all!

I take my hat off to Mr. Malensek for the intense labor that surely had to go into completing this work, and highly recommend this for any that are interested in the deep recesses of military conflict, and
are wanting to share in the heart of a soldier. Mr. Malensek's skill as a writer is evident in "The X-Mas War" as he weaves his words on the paper,as an artist would paint their picture on a canvas!

Shirley Johnson/Reviewer